Vice Chairwoman Edmonson pleads with the community to stop celebratory gunfire on Independence Day.
(Photo by Armando Rodriguez/Miami-Dade County)

Independence Day is a time for festivities, but officials are warning residents that celebratory gunfire can lead to unintended injury and death. On July 2, 2012, Miami-Dade Vice Chairwoman Audrey M. Edmonson joined City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado for their annual “One Bullet Kills the Party” press conference and rally at Little Haiti Soccer Park. The elected officials, as well as law enforcement and clergy members, made a plea for residents to think twice before shooting guns in the air.

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), bullets shot into the air can climb two miles and then fall at a rate of 300 to 700 feet per second. Vice Chairwoman Edmonson participates in this public message prior to every Independence Day and New Year’s Eve to warn residents of the dangers of celebratory gunfire.

“It’s simple – what goes up must come down,” said Vice Chairwoman Edmonson. “Any bullet fired into the air is a potential hazard for people nearby. You may be just celebrating, but you are placing the lives of your neighbors at risk. Please put the guns away and have a safe Fourth of July.”

For more information, please contact Vice Chairwoman Edmonson’s district office at 305-636-2331.